Sleeping Much?

[deedub]

I have tried counting sheep, I have tried ear plugs which just make the clicking louder.
It is really strange, I have been waking up pretty consistently at 3:00 am for months, alert and ready to go, only to crash a short while longer. My valve is quite noisy so it doesn't help if you are a light sleeper.
Any one else? It has been one of my most difficult hurdles. Eight hours of sleep is rare. It is difficult with work and all to stay awake during the day.
Prior to surgery no problem.

Sleepless in Alberta

 

[Freddie]

Dwain,
That's cute, "Sleepless in Alberta"

Have you talked to your doctor? Maybe he/she can prescribe an a mild sleeping pill. I know it worked wonders for me.

I may be Freddie, but I'm also your neighbor to the West in Saskatchewan

 

[Lily]

Besides the loud ticking. . .

I have a theory that some traumatic things can knock our sleep pattern off-kilter. Maybe it's not just my theory. Maybe it's factual. Anyway, we had some wildfires come through our area (again) two years ago and I have struggled with some sleep issues on and off since then. Sometimes I'm wide awake, like a little owl at 3am . But I know if I stay up, I'll be dragging around, exhausted, by mid-morning. Oh, also my dad and my grandad also had this early-waking habit so I've wondered if there is also a genetic tendency to the problem. And also, I have developed some kind of allergy to all things feather: pillows, mattresses, comforters; I just can't sleep with any of them.

Anyway, I know these things help me to sleep better:

A completely dark and cool room
Socks on my feet if it's too cold
A tight and smooth fitted sheet
White noise (a nearby fan works for me)
Don't eat close to bedtime
Very seldom I've tried a Sominex, which has so far always broken my waking pattern, though I've only taken maybe three in the past two years
Sometimes changing pillows helps

I hope something helps you. Lack of sleep can contribute to a lot of physical and emotional deficiencies.

 

[KAJ]

Dwain,

I know exactly how you feel. I have the same problem. Unless, I am really, really tired, rarely do I sleep a night without waking up. My valve also keeps me up at times. I asked my cardio for a sleep aide. He refused. He suggested some time of white noise such as fan or noise machine. A fan has helped but not always.

Karl

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Dwain,
That's cute, "Sleepless in Alberta"

SNIP

I may be Freddie, but I'm also your neighbor to the West in Saskatchewan

Freddie,

You may want to check your Map of Canada....

Saskatchewan has always been EAST of Alberta for as long as I remember

'AL'

 

[Bina]

My nightly wake up is also around 3 or 4:00
From what I've been reading, depending on bed time, that a few hours into the deep sleep, our sleep pattern then switches into REM mode. That is when we tend to be easily woken by strange dreams, abrupt noises, or temperature changes. When I wake, I go to the bathroom, have a whiz, take a sip of water with 1/4 Beta Blocker pill, and go back to bed. No lights, no TV, just a couple of dim night lights to make sure I don't fall and break my neck.....sometimes I fall back asleep quickly, sometimes i lay there quietly for a while.
Before bedtime avoid foods with high salt and caffeine.... a safe snack is a couple of oatmeal cookies.

 

[Superbob]

I had trouble with sleep post-op, and also have ringing in the ears. Have you tried one of those little contraptions bedside that make soothing sounds, like ocean waves or rainfall, summer sounds, etc etc? I found one helpful to mask the tinnitus, and I don't seem to need it anymore.

 

[stilldreamin]

I still have issues with sleeping also. During the day my loud ticking is a comfort, but come night time its an albatross. I tried sleeping with my headphones on with quiet music on my ipod, and sometimes a fan helps... but I also find myself waking in the middle of the night. I'm always tired. My doctor finally prescribed 1mg Lorazipam, which I still only take occasionally to help me when I'm totally exhausted and can absolutely no get to sleep.
Sorry to hear you're having issues also.

Jen

 

[Cris N]

While virtually all my sleep issues disappeared fairly quickly I still wake up once or twice a night... except for the last week. My DH was out of town and I fell asleep with the TV on every night - slept right through to morning. Ahhhh.....